A simple drop, stir, cover, and go recipe; Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free) is so easy to prepare, tastes amazing, and packs well for lunch the next day.

I've had my eye on a few slow cooker enchilada quinoa recipes around the web, but hesitated making any of them because they often contained massive amounts of cheese. Even though Elle and I still eat some cheese, Andrew is dairy-free so I usually avoid cheese-laden recipes.

Since the idea of enchilada quinoa in a slow cooker sounded so easy and tasty, I thought I'd work on a cheese-free version.

I also wanted to substitute a spin on homemade enchilada sauce, since most commercial brands of enchilada sauce contain gluten, which I know some of you prefer to avoid.

After a few attempts I'm pretty excited about this version, which is naturally creamy from the quinoa, and packs plenty of flavor from the veggies and spices.

Since water is used as the cooking liquid in this recipe, and since there's no cheese, I suggest tasting the mixture prior to adding the quinoa to make sure it's properly seasoned. If the mixture tastes bland, add more salt!

Then, at the end, green chilis and lime juice are stirred in for additional flavor. Feel free to omit the green chilis if you're sensitive to heat, and to add more salt if the enchilada quinoa tastes flat.

You can, of course, top the final results with anything you like, including cheese or avocado and plenty of hot sauce. Leftovers pack and reheat quite well for lunch the next day, or pop a few servings in the freezer for a night you don't feel like cooking.

I hope you enjoy this super simple, flavorful, vegetarian slow cooker meal. Now let's make some enchilada quinoa!

2 | Top with avocado and chopped green onions, or sprinkle with cheese and dollop with sour cream.

3 | Since the consistency of this dish is decidedly creamy, feel free to top with crushed corn chips or chopped white onion to add crunch.

THIS RECIPE IS

Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free, Vegetarian, and Vegan

Slow Cooker Enchilada Quinoa (Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free)

Ingredients

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon mild chili powder

2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz can tomato sauce

1 15-oz can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes

1 cup water

1-3 teaspoons salt

1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed

1 4-oz chopped green chilies

Juice of 1 small lime

Instructions

1. Combine the onion, bell pepper, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, beans, tomato sauce, fire-roasted tomatoes, water, salt (taste the mixture prior to adding the quinoa, adding salt to taste), and quinoa to a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring to combine. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours, or until the quinoa is cooked through.

2. Uncover and stir in the green chilies and lime juice. Taste and add additional salt or lime juice if you like.

3. Serve with any toppings you like such as avocado, chopped green onions, cilantro, grated cheese, sour cream, hot sauce or sliced limes. If you want crunch, go for crushed corn chips and chopped white onion.